Nettalk Forum application to involve users in projects

[ozejohn]

Hi,

I would like to get comments from users about a prototype system available in many locations. I am thinking about building a simple forum that captures data about each form. Then showing the discussion below the form so users can add and share comments about the application as it is developed. I am also interested in making nettalk web server apps where the users capture the documentation for me from inside the running application.

Can anyone give my your comments on how to best capture and share comments. In addition allow customers to create documentation from inside the application using Nettalk web server applications.

[Graham]

Hi John,

If I understand you correctly :-), first thing that comes to mind would be to use Capesoft's FileExplorer to open a Web Browser from inside the app.

A button or key sequence on any given form would provide the user with direct access to the desired/approriate Web page/s in your forum Server.

A little template could add the required logic to all or selected procedures in the app.  The template would setup the call to opening the Web Browser and include the Procedure name in the url and any other data/params that might be useful.

This could then be parsed in the Server to adjust the Server page output if required or simply write the data to the forum database in the Server.

A further idea would be to use Nettalk's WebClient to do background posts of any other data from inside the app.  I use this technique to monitor usage and track any errors in one of our apps that run 24/7

Once again, if I understood you correctly, my 2c.

Cheers
Graham

[Graham]

Hi John,

A further thought: If you don't own FileExplorer, you can simply create a window within your app with approriate fields to capture user input and then use a Nettalk WebClient to post the user input to the Forum server

Cheers

[ozejohn]

Hi Graham,

I do own file explorer but had never used it. I have not considered using it from inside Nettalk Web Server Apps. Thanks for your suggestion.

[Bruce]

Hi John,

I think Graham is suggesting you make a custom "thin client" using File Explorer as a browser control. I'm not sure if this is really what you're trying to do...

Cheers
Bruce

[ozejohn]

Hi Bruce,

The problem. I have a project where :-

1. Users are spread over thousands of kilometers, are partly independent businesses and all want to have their say in the project. They are not IT savy but know what they want once they see it.

2. A group of power users are willing to document the system for me. They are willing to suggest tool tips as well as workflow documentation. They need an easy way to capture documentation about the forms. This needs to be in a way they can share with each other and with end users.

Thoughts on possible solutions :-

1. A forum that is seperate to the application is useless because users forget which forum goes with which part of the application. So I am thinking of adding a hyperlink at the end of each from that links to the forum for that form. In the alternative I may add a child list at the end of every form which is the forum itself.

2. I would like to do the documentation capture from inside the application itself. I might the list from 1 above to allow users to capture screen prints and comments that comprise the documentation. This has to be captured by the workflow the form is part of rather than by form. They could also contribute tool tip changes as part of the forum.

I know how to do those things. They are a lot like what we do with ezhelp with Clarion apps. I just want to know if other people have had deal with projects like this one. If so has anyone automated getting the feedback and documentation from the users.